Saturday, November 12, 2016

Book Blitz: The Cursed Trilogy by Amy Braun

An urban fantasy series for fans of the “Supernatural” TV show, CURSED tells the story of Constance Ramirez, a hardened young woman determined to protect her adopted sister, Dro, from the bloodthirsty demons hunting her– and from Dro’s own deadly powers. As the sisters cross paths with demon slayers, psychics, and angels, they become tangled in a dangerous web that brings Constance’s past back to haunt her. Protecting her sister and her new allies will test Constance in ways she never imagined– though she may be too human to survive it.

Q: How did you come up with the idea?
A: Like most of my inspirations, it just came to me one day. “What would I do if I had an adopted sister who wasn’t human?” While I am an older sister of a very human brother, I admit that it was fun to put myself in another mindset. Given that I’m a fan of strong family-dynamic fiction, whether it’s from the Supernatural television series or the Cal Leandros and The Chimera series’ by Rob Thurman, I wanted to write a story about the powerful bonds of family– two people who would literally die for each other. I also wanted to delve deeper into the mysteries of angel and demonology. The more I learned about them, their types and hierarchies, I knew they were the perfect creatures for my story. I think they presented some intense challenges for Constance and Dro, and writing about them was as informative as it was exciting.

Q: What was the biggest challenge writing Demon’s Daughter?
A: The research. While I love demons and angels, I’m not religious. I know that fiction writing, especially urban fantasy, allows you to bend the rules, but I wanted there to be some truth to what I was writing. Nothing is more embarrassing than writing about a topic you’re not an expert in. So I spent countless hours online, checking and re-checking my facts until whatever concept I was reading about made sense and wasn’t going to offend anyone. I think I succeeded. Other challenges involved finding information on Mexican drug cartels (so it’s a good thing I have a strong stomach) and locations/supernatural history in Texas. It’s tricky to write about a place you’ve never been to, so I spent a lot of my time looking at GoogleMaps and Google Images to make sure I wasn’t making random buildings out of thin air.Q: Why did you choose to make the main character a criminal?
A: At first, it was because I wanted someone strong. No matter what you may say about them, you don’t get to be a high ranking member of a drug cartel without being ruthless and tough. But as I built Constance and learned more about her, I realized that I didn’t just want her to be tough and skilled at fighting. I wanted her to be damaged. I wanted a character that would develop PTSD from the things she saw and endured. I wanted her to showcase strength, when in reality she’s terrified at every turn. Constance has had a rough life, but she made her choices to protect the person she loves above everything else. She was at the end of her rope, desperate, and did the only thing she knew would work. How she deals with the guilt weighing on her conscience as her past catches up with her will be a key element in the future books, but I wanted readers to get a taste of her internal struggle before things really start hitting the fan.Q: Who is your favorite character and why?
A: Constance, of course. I love books with strong female leads who know how to help themselves, and one of the highlights of writing Demon’s Daughter was putting Constance in situations where she had no one to help her. Constance is human, but she fights like a machine. She refuses to back down to anyone, is stubborn and angry, and viciously loyal to those who earn it. At the same time, she’s a compressed bottle of pain and fear. It takes a lot of hard work to earn her trust, though she makes it worth the effort. As much as I love Constance, Dro, and the rest of the characters, my second favorite is Sephiel. His backstory is heartbreaking, and like Constance, his loyalty is unwavering. As soon as I started writing him, I kind of fell in love with him. I think readers will really enjoy reading about the mysterious angel, and I hope there’s a lot of feedback about him as a character.Q: What can we expect from the sequel?
A: Insanity, if I’m being honest. The sequel, titled Dark Divinity and scheduled for a December 2015 release, runs at the same full throttle speed as its predecessor. I delved a little more into the angels, and Constance’s past plays a vital role. It’s definitely darker than Demon’s Daughter, and my beta reader has told me that there are some heartbreaking moments in the sequel. There will be new demons and old enemies, and choices that will have devastating consequences. If readers enjoy Demon’s Daughter, they will love Dark Divinity.

Author Bio:
Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for "author voice, world-building and general bad-assery," and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn't writing, she's reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.